'/S6.    rae/ii-S  , 

~~&&<LLC- 


/ 


USE  AND  CONSERVATION  OF 
NATURAL  GAS 

ESPECIALLY  ADAPTED  FOR  USE  IN  SCHOOLS 


Issued  by  the 
UNITED  STATES  FUEL  ADMINISTRATION 

BUHEAU  OF  OIL  CONSERVATION 


The  2,000,000  housekeepers  in  the  United  States 
who  use  natural  gas  could  save  at  least  $36,000,000 
worth  of  gas  annually  if  their  cooking  appliances 
were  properly  adjusted 


'"•''131938 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  P1UIST1NG  OFFICE 
1918 


J 


WHAT  A  SAVING  OF  1,000  CUBIC  FEET  OF  NATURAL  GAS 
PER  MONTH  BY  EACH  DOMESTIC  CONSUMER  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES  WILL  ACCOMPLISH  TO  HELP  WIN 
THE  WAR. 


Save  2,300,000,000  cubic  feet  of  gas  per  month. 

This  would  release  coal  sufficient  to  make  2,000,000  3-inch  shells — 
about  the  same  as  the  famous  French  "  75's  " — per  month. 

"Would  release  enough  coal  to  send  one  15,000-ton  troopship  over- 
seas every  day.  The  troopship  can  not  burn  gas,  but  must  have  c<  1 1. 
which,  on  account  of  the  coal  shortage,  takes  coal  away  from  the  plant 
making  shells.  Gas  is  used  in  shell  and  other  munitions  manufac- 
ture, and  the  gas  that  the  domestic  consumer  can  save  will  release 
that  equivalent  amount  of  coal. 

(2) 


HOW  WE  GET  NATURAL  GAS. 

The  first  step  in  obtaining  natural  gas  is  securing  a  lease  or  right 
to  drill  a  well.  This  lease  must  usually  be  paid  for  for  several  years 
prior  to  beginning  actual  drilling,  on  the  optimistic  but  unproven 
faith  that  there  may  be  gas  under  it.  On  an  average  for  the  entire 
United  States  every  fourth  hole  is  dry  or  gasless.  When  the  well  is 
drilled,  in  order  to  protect  it  and  prevent  the  earth  from  caving  in, 
an  iron  pipe  (called  a  casing)  is  driven  down  through  the  hole  and 
into  rock  which  is  always  found  above  gas-bearing  sand.  If  gas  is 
found,  a  plugging  device,  known  as  a  "  packer,"  is  fastened  in  the 
casing  or  hole  in  the  rock  just  above  the  gas  sand ;  and  the  gas,  be- 
cause of  its  natural  expansive  pendency,  then  comes  to  the  earth's 
surface,  usually  one-half  mile  above,  through  a  pipe  called  "  tubing," 
which  is  screwed  into  the  packer.  This  tubing  is  then  connected  by 
underground  pipe  to  the  consumer's  fixtures,  generally  many  miles 
away,  as  shown  on  pages  8  and  9.  Thus  the  natural  gas  used  in 
Toledo,  Ohio,  is  transmitted  294  miles;  at  Noblesville,  Ind.,  341  miles; 
Marion,  Ind.,  322  miles;  Columbus,  Ohio,  174  miles;  Louisville,  Ky., 
205  miles ;  and  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  237  miles. 

The  gas  is  never  at  rest,  but  is  a  constantly  seething,  moving  mass, 
traveling  in  the  mains  at  enormous  velocities — at  a  speed  many  times 
exceeding  that  of  the  fastest  trains — and  requires  constant  attention 
from  the  well  until  it  is  burned  at  the  consumer's  fixtures. 

When  the  gas  is  removed  from  the  gas  sand  the  natural  pressure 
(called  rock  pressure)  must  decline.  As  the  gas  travels  through  the 
pipes  the  friction  causes  the  pressure  to  drop.  These  two  features  re- 
quire the  installation  of  expensive  compressors  for  raising  the  gas 
pressure  so  as  to  compel  it  to  travel  to  the  ultimate  consumer.  The 
compressor  is  a  mechanical  device  to  squeeze  the  gas  into  a  smaller 
volume,  the  object  being  to  expedite  transmission,  just  as  cotton,  hay, 
or  straw  are  compressed  for  shipment. 

The  broad  public  interest  in  an  effective  and  continuous  service 
and  a  future  generation's  equity  in  a  future  supply  makes  it  the  duty 
of  the  gas-producing  company — 

First.  To  conserve  the  supply  of  gas  in  every  way  possible.  By 
conservation  is  meant  not  merely  saving  but  using  in  the  most  effec- 
tive manner.  This  means  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  gas  company  to 
remove  every  foot  of  gas  from  the  ground  that  can  be  economically 
obtained. 

Second.  Every  appliance  known  to  gas  mining  should  be  used  to 
bring  about  the  most  economical  production  of  the  gas  and  most  effec- 
tive method  of  transmission  and  distribution.  Since  a  normal  char- 
acteristic of  every  gas  field  is  that  its  natural  pressure  declines  as  the 
gas  is  removed,  it  becomes  necessary  to  increase  the  rapidly  declining 
pressure  by  mechanical  means. 

(3) 


GAS  SAND. 

In  no  case  is  the  gas  found  in  rooms,  caverns,  or  large  crevices,  a§ 
popularly  supposed.  The  gas  sands  art-  simply  very  porous  rocks 
which  contain  millions  upon  million-  of  -mall  or  microscopic  cavities, 
so  that  the  gas  occupies  those  numerous  spaces  and  thus  saturates  the 
rock.  The  gas  is  obtained  by  puncturing  this  sand  rock  by  the  hole 
•which  is  drilled  from  the  earth's  surface. 

WRONG  IMPRESSION  OF  WORD  "NATURAL." 

While  natural  gas  is  a  product  made  by  nature,  it  is  no  more  natural 
than  other  materials,  like  coal,  oil.  or  iron  ore.  The  word  "  natural  " 
came  into  common  usage  probably  as  contrasted  with  manufactured 
gas,  and  the  use  of  the  word  appears  to  have  given  a  fallacious  im- 
pression that  natural  gas  was  a  free  and  unlimited  natural  resource. 
Merely  being  made  by  nature  does  not  mean  that  a  substance  is  cheap 
and  of  low  value.  Natural  gas  is  a  natural  resource  which  men  li 
learned  to  use  for  the  satisfaction  of  their  wants.  The  misconception 
regarding  the  position  of  natural  gas  has  arisen  from  failing  to  ap- 
preciate that  man  creates  no  new  matter,  and  can  merely  get  the  mate- 
rials of  nature  ready  for  consumption,  since  every  product  of  indus- 
try owes  its  origin  to  natural  resources. 

GEOGRAPHICAL  DISTRIBUTION. 

Natural  gas  is  found  in  23  States,  but  98  per  cent  of  the  total  pro- 
duction is  in  West  Virginia,  Pennsylvania,  Oklahoma,  Ohio,  Loui- 
siana, Kansas,  California,  Texas,  and  New  York.  Forty  per  Cent  of 
the  total  production  comes  from  West  Virginia. 

MAGNITUDE  OF  NATURAL-GAS  INDUSTRY  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 

There  are  over  2,300,000  domestic  natural-gas  consumers. 

Of  all  the  towns  in  the  United  States  that,  have  gas,  about  one- 
half  use  natural  gas. 

About  800  billion  cubic  feet,  of  ga:--  were  produced  last  year. 

This  represents  about  7">  per  crni  of  all  gas  sold  in  the  United 
ie« — that  is,  the  manufactured  gas  sold  is  only  about  one-fourth 
of  the  total. 

NATURAL  GAS  IS  BECOMING  SCARCER. 

The  demands  for  natural  gas  are  now  greater  than  the  available 
supply.  Food  and  trees  can  be  grown.  Water  supplies  are  con- 
stantly replenished  by  nature,  but  there  is  no  regeneration  in  natural 
gas:  and  when  the  gas  is  once  used  it  is  gone  forever.  While  no 
one  knows  exactly  how  natural  gas  is  formed,  yet  enough  facts  are 
known  about  it  to  indicate  that  nature's  process  was  a  very  slow  one. 
It  has  taken  millions  of  years  to  make  the  present  concentrated  sup- 


plies,  and  even  though  gas  should  now  be  formed  in  some  parts  of 
the  earth's  crust,  the  rate  of  formation  will  be  so  slow  as  to  make 
such  new  gas  pools  of  no  interest  or  economic  value  for  centuries. 

The  use  of  natural  gas  is  not  an  inalienable  right,  but  a  privilege 
enjoyed  by  about  10  per  cent  of  our  entire  population  in  the  United 
States,  used  in  a  most  extravagant  and  wasteful  manner,  with  no 
regard  for  the  future  and  not  appreciated  until  it  is  gone. 

EXTENT  OF  WASTE. 

The  history  of  the  natural-gas  industry  is  an  appalling  record  of 
almost  unbelievable  waste.  The  common  methods  of  production, 
transmission,  and  use  have  resulted  in  wasting  more  gas  than  has 
ever  been  utilized.  At  the  present  time  a  survey  of  the  out  ire  natu- 
ral-gas industry  indicates  clearly  that  the  amount  of  waste  even 
to-day  is  greater  than  the  amount  of  gas  actually  utilized.  At  the 
present  time  we  are  wasting  over  800  billion  cubic  feet  of  gas  per 
annum.  On  the  basis  of  what  it  would  now  cost  to  replace  this 
ideal  fuel,  the  money  value  of  this  waste  amounts  to  $1,200,000,000 
a  year,  or  more  than  $3,000,000  per  day. 

There  are  many  distributing  plants  that  waste  one-third  of  the  gas 
by  various  forms  of  leakage  in  the  town;  that  is,  they  deliver  to  the 
ultimate  consumers  not  to  exceed  two-thirds  of  the  gas  received  at 
the  town  limits.  Some  of  the  consumer's  wastes  are  enumerated  on 
page  7. 

WHAT  IT  WILL  COST  TO  REPLACE  NATURAL  GAS. 

Natural  gas  is  purer  and  has  about  twice  the  heating  value  of  any 
manufactured  gas  that  could  be  made.  Man  with  all  his  skill  has 
never  been  able  to  manufacture  gas  that  is  equal  in  quality  to  the 
natural  gas  which  is  now  so  generally  wasted. 

To  replace  the  800  billion  cubic  feet  of  gas  now  annually  used 
would  cost  about  $1,200,000,000  annually. 

In  tests  made  in  the  Department  of  Home  Economics  of  the  Ohio 
State  University  to  determine  the  relative  costs  of  various  fuels  for 
cooking  the  following  startling  relationships  were  found : 

Natural  gas  at  $1.12  per  M.  is  equivalent  to  coal  at  $6.50  per  ton. 
Natural  gas  at  $2  per  M.  is  equivalent  to  gasoline  at  27  cents  per  gallon. 
Natural  gas  at  $2.20  per  M.  is  equivalent  to  electricity  at  3  cents  per  kilowatt, 
Natural  gas  at  $2.40  per  M.  is  equivalent  to  coal  oil  at  15  cents  per  gallon. 

USES  OF  NATURAL  GAS. 

At  the  present  time  one-third  of  all  the  natural  gas  produced  is 
used  for  domestic  service  and  two-thirds  is  used  for  industrial  work. 


VARIATION  IN  DOMESTIC  NATURAL-GAS  CONSUMPTION. 


The  following  show*  the  monthly  variation  of  a  typical  domestic 


consumer : 

July 1 

August 2 

Sfptfinber 4 

November 7 

December  __  14 


January 28 

I  Vhninry #> 

M.-uvh i" 

April r> 

Mny 2 

June__  1 


The  domestic  load  variation  is  such  that  although  the  entire  plant 
capacity  is  necessary  for  the  peak  demands  during  the  wintertime, 
the  a vi  rage  domestic  load  is  only  about  one-third  of  the  maximum. 

WHY  INDUSTRIAL  GAS  HAS  BEEN  SOLD. 

• 

In  the  preceding  section  it  was  shown  that  the  average  load  on  a 
natural-gas  plant  was  only  about  one-third  of  the  total  capacity 
necessary  to  meet  the  winter  demand.  This  emphasizes  the  many 
opportunities  for  rendering  service  which  the  dome  tic  consumer 
can  not  utilize.  In  order  to  sell  gas  cheaper  to  the  domestic  con- 
sumer and  use  the  plant  for  a  larger  number  of  hours,  the  companies 
began  selling  gas  to  industrial  users  during  the  summer  montlis,  when 
the  domestic  consumption  was  very  low.  Since  in  most  fields  there  is 
unrestricted  competition  between  various  companies,  this  had  the 
immediate  effect  to  make  it  impossible  for  any  one  company  to  con- 
serve the  gas  for  future  use  without  cooperation  with  its  competitors. 
The  public  has  frowned  upon  any  arrangements  for  cooperation  on 
the  theory  that  competition  was  desirable.  This  has  resulted  in  a 
wild  race  between  the  various  companies,  each  trying  to  get  the  gas 
out  of  the  field,  with  the  result  that  the  supplies  were  drained  \vry 
heavily  and  are,  therefore,  not  available  for  further  use. 

CONSUMER  IS  RESPONSIBLE  FOR  PROPER  USE  OF  GAS. 

The  great  importance  of  the  proper  position  of  cooking  vr 
•iisciissed  elsewhere  in  this  pamphlet.  Kven  with  high  pressure 
and  long  (lames,  if  a  strong  draft  should  deflect  the  tlame  the  cook- 
ing service  will  be  unsatisfactory.  Better  results  can  be  obtained 
with  pressures  in  the  neighborhood  of  1  ounce  than  at  4  ounces  or 
higher,  if  the  ves^-el  is  properly  placed  over  the  shorter  flames  re- 
sulting from  the  lower  pressure.  A  burner  with  a  large  number  of 
short  flames  will  give  better  results  than  with  long  flames.  This  is 
such  an  important  feature  that  practically  twice  as  much  gas  will  be 
required  to  cook  with  4  ounces  of  pressure  as  would  be  required  for 
pressures  of  from  1  to  2  ounces. 


When  mantle  burners  are  opened  so  as  to  admit  more  gas  than 
is  necessary  the  familiar  "hissing"  or  blowing  sound  is  produced. 
This  has,  first,  a  tendency  to  break  the  mantle  and  chimney;  second, 
waste  the  gas;  and,  third,  lower  the  candlepower  of  the  lamp.  The 
majority  of  natural-gas  consumers  do  not  appreciate  that  gas  burners 
need  care  and  attention,  and  that  periodic  cleaning  is  absolutely  es- 
sential if  satisfactory  results  are  to  be  obtained. 

On  account  of  the  low  gas  prices  that  have  prevailed,  gas-appliance 
manufacturers  have  not  been  stimulated  to  the  development  of 
efficient  gas-using  equipment.  There  have  been  few  improvements 
resulting  in  increased  efficiency  in  the  last  15  years.  In  testing  house- 
heating  furnaces  it  has  been  found  that — 

(a)  The  use  of  natural  gas  in  the  fire  pot,  of  a  coal  furnace  utilizes 
only  about  25  per  cent  of  the  heat  energy  in  the  gas  and  wa.stes  75 
per  cent. 

(b)  The  use  of  natural  gas  in  the  ordinary  gas  furnace  utilizes 
about  35  per  cent  of  the  heat  energ}r  in  the  gas  and  wastes  G5  per  cent. 

(c)  The  use  of  natural  gas  in  a  correctly  designed  and  built  gas 
furnace  where  the  construction  conditions  permit  the  fullest  utiliza- 
tion of  the  heat  in  the  gas  will  utilize  about  75  per  cent  of  the  heat 
energy  in  the  gas,  wasting  about  25  per  cent.    There  are  a  number 
of  furnaces  on  the  market  especially  constructed  for  the  fullest  utili- 
zation of  natural  gas. 

In  tests  made  by  the  Bureau  of  Standards  it  was  found  that  the 
ordinary  incandescent  mantle  lamp,  where  used  with  natural  gas, 
•wasted  nearly  half  of  the  possible  heat  that  .could  be  used  if  such 
lamps  were  designed  for  as  efficient  operation  on  the  high-heating 
value  of  natural  gas  as  they  give  on  the  low-heating  value  of  manu- 
factured gas. 

HOW  THE  CONSUMER  CAN  SAVE  GAS. 

Don't  burn  lamps  in  daytime  or  use  lamps  that  are  improperly  ad- 
justed. Each  incandescent  mantle  burner  has  an  adjusting  device  at 
the  base  for  regulating  the  air  and  gas.  Both  must  be  so  adjusted 
as  to  secure  the  maximum  illumination  without  any  hissing  or  roar- 
ing sound. 

Don't  use  more  gas  under  hot-water  tn.nk  than  is  necessary. 

Don't  burn  gas  without  proper  air  mixture.  If  the  mixture  is  not 
correct  a  wasteful  flame  will  be  produced.  A  pale  blue  flame  will 
give  the  most  efficient  results. 

Don't  turn  gas  on  for  cooking  until  the  vessel  is  ready  for  use. 
Turn  it  off  immediately  when  the  cooking  operation  is  completed. 

Don't  use  gas  at  high  pressure  with  long  flames.  Short  flames,  if 
properly  directed,  consume  less  gas  for  the  same  cooking  operation. 


•      GaaTOl 


Gas  Well  Drilling  R 


Gas  Measuring 
Station  in.  Field 


Gas  Compressing  Station 


Gas  Sand 

8.    F«c«  8  and  9 


Gas  Cooling  Basin 


Medium  Pressure  Res 


r 

.1 


Gas  Measuring 
Station,  at  Gates  of  Town 


tOO  LBS. 


1 


I 

a 

8 

o 


How  the  Consumer 
Gets  the  Gas 


V4 

a 


o> 

J 


10 

Don't  turn  the  gas  high  after  the  rooking  vessel  boils.     You  <-:m 
lint   make  tli--    I',)-  d   :iny   hotter.      It   will   Hnii»|y   l../d   and    no  n, 
After  the  <  n  to  1-oi!  th«'  -:>ine  le'npcrature  can  I.e  111:1111- 

:>d  with  a  smaller  g-\s  <  onsumptiop. 

Don't  keep  :  ;•  (is  .     Don't  keep  windows  < 

for  other  than  vent ilating  purposes;   lowor  the  temperature  <>! 
room  by  turning  down  the  g 

Don't  burn  pis  in  a  furnace  without  automatic  thermos'  it  .-<>ntrol. 
Such  an  automatic  devi-  on  the  job,  ready  i<>  pivvent  tlie 

overheating  of  rocms,  and  therefore  wa-le  of  gas.  in  addition  to 
keeping  the  room  at  a  uniform  temperature.  The  cost  of  such  an 
automatic  device  is  not  large  and  it  will  soon  pay  for  itself  in  the 
saving  of  gas. 

Don't  burn  gas  5n  an  ordinary  coal  furnace.  It  is  wasteful  and  its 
use  requires  much  more  gas  for  the  same  heat  delivered  into  the  room 
than  is  required  with  specially  builr  natural-gns  furnaces. 

Don't  permit  gas  leaks  on  the  premises.  But  ncrcr  hunt  for  a  leak 
with  a  match  or  light.  The  easiest  way  is  to  put  soapsuds  over  the 
pipe  or  connection  suspected.  If  gas  is  escaping  the.  soapsuds  will 
bubble.  In  many  houses  where  t«-sts  have  been  made  it  h :•..-.  ! 
found  that  about  one-sixth  of  the  total  gas  that  passed  through  the 
meter  was  wasted  by  leaking  pipe  and  fixtures. 

WHAT  IS  USABLE  NATURAL-GAS  PRESSURE  FOR 
COOKING  SERVICE? » 

This  was  determined  in  te.-rts  which  duplicated  household  opera- 
tions rather  than  fancy  laboratory  conditions.  In  these  tests  it  was 
found  that  leso  gas  was  required  at  low  pressures  than  at  high  pres- 
sures, and  at  two-tenths  of  an  ounce  pressure  the  natural-gas  range 
used  about  37  per  cent  of  the  heat  energy  of  the  gas,  wasting  G3  per 
cent;  and  that  at  4  ounces  pressure  the  natural-gas  range  utilized 
only  13  per  cent  of  the  heating  energy  of  the  gas,  wasting  87  per 
cent. 

IMPORTANCE  OF  VESSEL  POSITION. 

For  cookir.g  operations  it  is  only  the  tip  of  the  flame  that  can  be 
used  for  effective  service.  If  the  llame  is  short  and  the  vessel  is  so 
far  away  that  the  hot  point  of  the  flame  does  not  come  close  to  the 
ve-sel.  satisfactory  results  can  not  be  obtained.  If  the  flame  is  very 
long  in  order  to  reach  the.  high  vossel  the  stove  will  be  wasteful  in 
the-  use  of  gas. 

1  The  data  on  th<»  followlnjj  pnjrcs  r.tv  from  tc^ts  mnde  in  the  Popartmont  of  Home 
I>»rv.::i:;- ••••.  o'.'i-i  S'r.to  rnivcrsily,  Columbus,  Oblo,  and  published  in  the  Ohio  State 
Bulletin,  No.  2R,  M.iy,  1918. 


11 


FIG.    1. — Drilled   burner    with   nail    or   wire   insertH    to    support    cookinj 
pressure  natural  gas  service. 


vessel    for    low 


In  order  to  bring  the  vessel  to  the  best  operating  position  for 
short  flames  all  that  is  necessary  is  some  device  that  will  hold  the 
vessel  the  correct  distance  from  the  burner.  With  the  drilled  type 
of  burner  this  can  be  easily  accomplished  by  removing  the  stove  top 
and  inserting  three  nails  or  pieces  of  wire,  as  shown  in  figure  1,  and 
then  placing  the  vessel  on  the  top  of  these.  With  the  slotted  type  of 
burner,  remove  the  stove  top  and  simply  insert  three  pieces  of  sheet 
iron  or  heavy  tin,  as  shown  in  figure  2,  and  then  place  the  vessel  on 
the  top  of  these.  This  is  the  only  change  necessary  in  order  to  secure 
satisfactory  cooking  results  with  the  ordinary  stove  with  low  pres- 
sures and  the  resulting  short-flame  lengths. 


FIG.    2. — Slotted   burner    with   three   pieces   of  sheet   iron   for   supporting   cookiuy 
fcr  lov.'  pressure  natural  gas  service. 


vessel 


12 

ACCURACY  OF  METER  REGISTRATION  AT  LOW  AND 
VARIOUS  GAS  PRESSURES. 

Tho  popular  belief  i-  that  motors  run  faster  when  the  pressure  is 
low  than  when  the  pressure  is  higii.     This  is  contrary  to  the  facts. 
Variation  in  pre— lire  inak.^;  no  appreciable  dilTerence  in  tl;> 
tration  of  the  meter,  tho  meter  merely  registering,  within  a  reason- 
able luiiit  of  tolerance,  the  amount  of  gas  that   pi 
neither  increased  nor  decreased  by  changes  in  pre.^ure. 

COMBUSTION  OP  NATURAL  GAS. 

Tho  combustible  constituents  of  natural  gr\s  are  made  up  of  com- 
binations of  tho  elements  carbon  and  hydrogen.  When  natural 
is  burned  so  as  to  secure  perfect  combustion  only  carbon  dioxide  and 
water  vapor  are  formed;  that  is,  the  carbon  of  the  gas  unites  with 
the  oxygen  of  tho  air,  forming  carbon  dioxide,  and  the  hydrogen  of 
the  gas  unites  with  the  oxygen  of  the  air,  forming  water  vapor.  The 
water  vapor,  of  course,  will  condense  when  cooled.  This  water  va- 
por does  not  come  from  the  gas,  but  is  created  and  formed  by  the 
chemical  action  of  the  hydrogen  in  the  gas  and  the  oxygon  in  the  air. 

Each  cubic  foot  of  natural  gas  burned  requires  approximately  !VV 
cubic  feet  of  air,  forming  10J  cubic  feet  of  combustion  products, 
•which  are  made  up  of  2  cubic  feet  of  steam,  1  cubic  foot  of  carbon 
dioxido,  and  7£  cubic  feet  of  nitrogen,  all  thoroughly  diffused  through 
each  other. 

The  combustion  of  1,000  cubic  feet  of  natural  gas  will  form  2.000 
cubic  feet  of  water  vapor  or  steam,  and  this  when  condensed  will  make 
approximately  10£  gallons  of  water.  This  is  not  peculiar  to  natural 
gas,  but  is  true  of  all  gases  containing  hydrocarbon  compounds. 
One  thousand  cubic  feet  of  manufactured  gas  will  form  about  one- 
half  the  water  vapor  produced  by  the  combustion  of  1,000  cubic  feet 
of  natural  gas.  It  is  this  water  vapor  that  causes  the  bakers  and 
broilers  of  stoves  to  rust,  and  where  gas  is  used  in  open  fires  without 
flues,  or  for  lighting,  makes  tho  walls  and  windows  sweat  and  glued 
furniture  open  up. 

If  the  combustion  is  not  perfect,  then  carbon  monoxide,  which  is 
a  deadly  poison,  may  be  formed.  The  toxic  action  of  this  is  so  marked 
that  one-tenth  of  1  per  cent  is  enough  to  produce  fatal  results.  This 
is  especially  likely  to  be  formed  when  a  flame  is  suddenly  imping  1 
on  a  cold  surface,  as  for  instance,  the  first  few  seconds1  operation  of 
an  instantaneous  hot-water  heater. 

ACTION  OF  GAS  MIXER. 

As  stated  in  the  preceding  section,  about  9£  cubic  feet  of  air  must 
bo  mixed  with  each  cubic  foot  of  natural  gas  in  order  to  secure  per- 
fect combustion.  In  order  to  accomplish  this  tho  gas  at  a  pressure 
above  atmospheric  air  is  forced  through  a  small  orifice  by  the  gang* 


13 


FIG.  3. — Showing  construction  of  ordinary  gas  mixer. 

pressure  in  the  gas  pipe,  and  thus  acquires  a  relatively  high  velocity 
in  passing  through  the  small  opening,  as  shown  in  figures  3  and  4. 
In  this  way  an  aspirating  action  is  produced  around  the  orifice  and 
this  draws  atmospheric  air  from  the  room  in  so  that  it  Avill  mingle 
with  the  gas.  A.  gas  mixer  is,  therefore,  in  effect  merely  a  small  air 
injector.  The  mixer  shown  in  figure  3  is  the  one  most  generally 
used,  and  has  no  adjustment  for  the  gas.  The  mixer  shown  in  figure 
4  has  a  stationary  cone  and  by  turning  the  spud,  with  a  wrench  on 
ihe  hexagonal  head  of  the  spud,  the  effective  area  of  the  orifice  may 
be  made  larger  or  smaller,  thus  changing  the  velocity  of  the  gas,  and, 
therefore,  its  aspirating  action. 


FIG.  4. — Showing  construction  of  gas  mixer  with  adjustable  spud. 

COOKING  AND  HEATING  DISTINGUISHED. 

In  a  heating  operation  it  is  merely  necessary  to  secure  perfect  com- 
bustion in  the  heating  device,  because  in  so  doing  all  of  the  available 
heat  in  the  gas  can  be  utilized.  In  cooking  it  is  not  only  desirable  to 
secure  perfect  combustion,  but  absolutely  necessary  to  direct  the  heat 
to  a  particular  place  and  sometimes  at  a  particular  time.  It  is  for 
this  reason  that  gas-cooking  operations  are  more  susceptible  to 
changed  pressure  conditions  than  heating  operations. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  emphasizs  that  the  time  element  in  many 
cooking  operatians  is  of  much  more  importance  than  intensity. 


14 

CONCLUSIONS. 

1.  Satisfactory  rooking  operations  in  frying  pnl  •:  po- 
tatoes, frying  !•;                .  and  pan-broiling                  k  fan  be  earn.  .1  •   i 
with  O.-J  ounce  natural  gas  pressure. 

2.  The  changes  in  v<  SM  1  po-iti'>n  necessary  to  perm;1 

at  ion  at  pressures  ns  lov.  ounce  :  i  10  make  and  re- 

quire no  special  changes  in  existing  st< 

•J.   I'read  i  an  be  .-at  isfactorily  baked  with  0.5  ounce  natural  gas 
pressure. 

4.  Natural  gas  stoves  arc  not  properly  constructed  to  use  natural 
gas  efficiently  at  high  pressures  nor  satisfactorily  at  low  p"e<- np-s. 

5.  At  high  pressure  natural  gas  stoves  are  inefficient  and  therefore 
•eful  in  their  use  of  gas. 

C.  The  burners  on  natural  gns  stoves  are  too  low. 

7.  The  holes  in  the  spuds  of  natural  gas  stoves  are  too  small. 

8.  Long  flames  for  cooking  operations  are  wasteful. 

H.  Tho  maximum  results  are  obtained  with  many  short  flames  rather 
than  a  few  long  flames. 

10.  A  strong  draft  of  air  may  deflect  the  flame  away  from  cooking 
vessel  so  as  to  seriously  interfere  with  and  in  many  cases  stop  cooking. 

11.  Where  two  flames  strike  each  other,  due  to  the  fact  that  open- 
ings are  too  close  in  burner,  poor  combustion  will  result.     This  will 
produce  a  luminous  flame,  which  will  in  turn  result  in  a  smoking 
burner.     Neither  air  nor  gas  adjustment  can  overcome  this. 

12.  Drilled  burners  are  better  than  slotted  burners,  because  there  is 
less  likelihood  of  two  adjacent  flames  striking  against  each  other, 
therefore  producing  imperfect  combustion  conditions, 

13.  Natural  gas  cook  stoves  should  not  be  furnished  with  solid 
stove  tops,  since  this  suggests  the  carrying  on  of  cooking  operations 
on  top  of  the  stove  rather  than  with  the  vessel  in  the  proper  position. 

14.  At  low  pressures  no  perceptible  change  can  be  made  in  the 
combustion  conditions  by  adjusting  the  air  shutter.     The  best  con- 
ditions obtained  were  with  the  shutter  wide  open. 

1.").  Too  much  heat  is  used  in  most  cooking  operations.     Correct 
application  is  more  important  than  mere  intensity. 

16.  The   natural-gas   pressures  carried   in   most   natural-gas  dis- 
tributing plants  arc  too  high  for  efficient  operation. 

17.  Meter  registration  is  approximately  correct,  rogardlrs-  a,  to 
variation  in  pressure.     That  is,  meters  do  not  run  faster  when  the 
pressure  is  low. 

18.  Lowering  the  temperature  of  natural  gas  im  ;  fca  heating 
value  per  cubic  foot.    Natural  gas  has  a  temperature  a:  <r,it  -j.")0  lower 
in  the  coldest  month  in  winter  than  in  (he  hottest  month  in  sump. 
and  the  heating  value  per  cubic  foot  due  to  change  in  temperature 
is  therefore  about  5  per  cent  higher  in  the  coldest  month  in  winter 
than  in  the  warmest  month  in  summer. 


15 

19.  The   maximum   possible   variation  of  heating   value   due  to 
variation  in  gauge  pressure  would  make  the  heating  value  during 
the  low-pressure  periods  in  winter  less  than  3  per  cent  lower  than 
during  the  high-pressure  period  in  summer. 

20.  Since  the  heating  value  increase  due  to  low  temperature  of 
gas  in  winter  more  than  offsets  the  possible  decrease   in  heating 
value  due  to  low  pressure  the  practical  effect  of  the  two  is  that  the 
heating  value  per  cubic  foot  of  natural  gas  as  served  in  the  winter 
under  low  pressures  and  low  temperature  is  higher  than  that  served 
in  the  summer  under  higher  pressures  and  higher  temperature. 

21.  Variation  in  barometer   from   day  to  day  may   make  more 
of  a  change  in  the  heating  value  of  gas  than  any  possible  variation 
in  gauge  pressure. 

22.  Better  and  more  efficient  service  could  be  rendered  if  natural- 
gas  pressures  were  generally  lowered  to  probably  2  ounces  rather 
than  increased  to  4  ounces  or  above. 

23.  The  lowering  of  natural  gas  distributing  pressure  to  approxi- 
mately 2  ounces  would  produce  more  efficient  and  satisfactory  oper- 
ating conditions  for  the  consumer,  would  greatly  curtail  the  leakage 
on  the  consumer's  premises,  which  is  paid  for  by  the  consumer,  and 
would  also  substantially  lower  the  leakage  in  the  gas  company's 
distributing  plant. 


1C 


000  964  485 


WHAT  IS  CONSERVATION  ? 

'T'RUE  conservation  is  not  hoarding,  but  the  wise  use  of 
natural  resources,  and  it  implies  not  merely  the  pre- 
serving in  unimpaired  efficiency,  but  also  a  wise  and  equi- 
table exhaustion  with  a  maximum  eflicicncy  and  a  minimum 
waste.  The  hc:«rt  of  the  natural-gas  conservation  problem 
is  the  conflict  between  the  present  and  the  future.  The 
individual  landowner  is  interested  primarily  only  in  im- 
mediate present  personal  returns.  That  is,  he  is  thought- 
less and  indifferent  with  respect  to  the  future.  The  publir — 
at  least  the  2,000,000  domestic  natural-gas  consumers  and 
the  10,000,000  people  dependent  on  natural  gas  for  their 
cooking,  heating,  and  lighting  purposes — arc  interested  in 
conserving  the  supply  and  bringing  about  a  slow,  wise,  and 
economical  exhaustion,  so  as  to  insure  continuity  of  service 
for  the  future. 

Conservation,  therefore,  demands  intensive  rather  than 
extensive  use,  takes  cognizance  of  equitable  distribution, 
aims  to  bring  about  social  justice,  and  means  the  great,  *l 
good  to  the  greatest  number — and  that  for  the  longest  time.1 


1  Phraseology  sugge&lcd  by  Prof  C.  R.  Van  Hisc's  The  Consorvilioii  of 
Natural  Resources  in  the  United  States,  and  Prof.  Hit-hard  T.  F.ly's  C.oii- 
sci-vntlon  «nd  Economical  Theory,  Transactions  American  Institute  Min- 
ing Engineers,  vol.  Z4,  p.  -158. 


o 


